Powderhorn Oval

Powderhorn Oval. Olympic Proportions. Did you know that Powderhorn Park has hosted U.S. Olympic speed skating race trials?, A beautiful setting and a pristine sheet of ice shaved smooth, in the early years by a horse-drawn blade, pushed Powderhorn Park to prominence in the world of speed skating in the 1930s and 40s. Three times, the park played host to the Winter Olympic speed skating trials, (1936, 1940, and 1948). Tens of thousands of spectators bundled up to cheer on local skaters., Five speed skating clubs nurtured the love of the sport and the talents of men and women alike., In 1936, Charles Leighton from the Maple Hill Club was the first Minneapolis resident to win a spot on an Olympic team. Ken Bartholomew, a Powderhorn resident, won the national speed-skating championship in 1940. When the Olympic trials returned to Powderhorn in 1948, Bartholomew was one of four Minneapolis residents who won spots on the nine-member US team. The team competed at St. Moritz, Switzerland and Bartholomew brought home a silver medal., Silver Skates , Recreational speed skating meets were held in several Minneapolis parks from the early 1990s to 2003. Across the city the fastest skaters competed for Silver Skates trophies and ribbons., The speedskating track, first created at Powderhorn, moved to Lake Harriet, then McRae Park and finally to Armatage Park, where it was located until 2003., Speedskating was one of many recreation programs sponsored by the Franklin Cooperative Creamery. Lasting from 1936 to 1963, it was one of the longest running park sponsorship programs. Ribbons won by skater Obie Kipper, above, document the end. The Minneapolis Star (now the Star Tribune), as shown by the above ribbons, was an event sponsor in 1964.